In fluid power applications, valves are used to control actuators or pilot other valves in a fluid power circuit. One common type of valve is a solenoid activated valve. Such a valve uses a coil which surrounds an armature or plunger. When the coil is energized, a magnetic field is created, which causes the plunger to move. This movement can cause a fluid passage to open allowing the fluid to flow to the next member in the circuit. Alternatively, the fluid passage allows the fluid to flow and act on a valve member, such as a spool, thereby shifting the valve. The plunger could alternatively be directly connected to the valve-shifting member.
In a solenoid activated valve the plunger typically is moved against the biasing force of a spring. When the coil is energized the plunger moves, compressing the spring and allowing the valve to shift. When the coil is de-energized, the spring force urges the plunger back to its initial position. This behavior is cyclic in nature, since the action of the plunger is repeated over and over again under the same conditions. Accordingly, the behavior of the plunger should be the same for each cycle.
After a repeated number of cycles, valves may begin to wear and their function degrades. Valve degradation may be caused by a sticking plunger, a weak coil or a failing spring. The valve may still function but at a reduced efficiency. For example, air may leak or the valve may shift more slowly. It is often very difficult to determine which valves are in this state without removing the valve from its circuit and conducting tests. Even before complete valve failure, the machine or circuit in which it functions will be compromised. Once a valve completely fails, immediate maintenance is required. This can interrupt production and result in significant costs.
To avoid such unexpected failures, components such as valves may be replaced after a fixed period of time. However, fully functioning components may be needlessly replaced.
Also, the use of sensors to track the condition of the various valve components would require additional hardware, and require significant computational and memory storage to process all the signal information.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a system that monitors valves and efficiently determines the functional status of the valves in order to permit maintenance to be performed in a cost-effective manner.